Sunday, 30 June 2013

Recently I got kind of freaked out about my skin and sun exposure. Now, I do not particularly like to be in the sun but many people do not actually realise the amount of sun damage to your skin from just going about your day-to-day life. A quick search led me to this product with a massive SPF 50. How could you go wrong with that?

This product cost me £22.00 from Debenhams. It seems quite expensive but it will last me a good few months. I did not really know what to expect from this product, I don't think it is as much of a primer as it is for protection only, but that doesn't matter to me. You could use your own primer over this.

It's a squeeze tube so I was careful not to squirt out too much. I love the packaging, it was hard to photograph but it's black with green glitter! (Reminds me of "Wicked"). Anyway, pumped out you can see it just looks like a regular moisturising product. But I felt it was more oily than a regular moisturiser. Still, I applied it onto my face and it absorbed pretty much instantly. There is no greasy feel and it is completely invisible.

This is an oil absorbing primer (I can't really comment as I do not have oily skin though) and my make up lasts pretty much all day with this. If you like more silicone-y primers then you can use one after using this, as the instructions suggest to use more Prep & Prime products in addition to this. I would like to know how this product alone holds my makeup in hotter weather.

This is a hard product to review as I bought it purely for the SPF 50. I wouldn't tell you all to rush out and buy it, it's great - but it is the highest SPF I have ever came across, and now even if I am not going to wear makeup, I would stick a bit of this on in the morning. I am becoming oh so vigilant now with regard to sun protection! Don't want wrinkles!

EDIT - Well after the recent heatwave in Ireland I can now confirm that this product is simply incredible! Not only did it preserve my makeup throughout the day (and the heat), it was great knowing you had that extra protection on your face too. I have now made a pact that I will never be without this product, especially during summer months!

Wednesday, 26 June 2013

I have probably mentioned this foundation before, and how brilliant I think it is, but I thought I'd dedicate a post to it anyway!
I haven't spent this much money on a foundation in a long time. I got a little sample of this at the Lancome counter in Debenhams, and from the very first time I put it on, I was really overwhelmed by how good it is. Up until trying this, I had been using quite thick foundations or "glowy" foundations so it was quite a change to use this matte foundation.

The pump dispenser is absolutely brilliant, I have only been using about half a pump per application so I can imagine this foundation will last me a long time!

I chose the shade 03, because I thought it matched my skin perfectly when I am wearing fake tan, but it is not too dark that I couldn't wear it when I am not tanned. It is available in 18 shades so you can be assured there will be a shade to suit you! I would say this is a medium coverage foundation.

Now, Lancome describe this as being an oil free, re-touch free, transfer-free, shine-free, 24 hour long wear foundation! Well I can definitely agree with all of those points. It is very long-wearing, and it is such a nice, lightweight foundation. I have used Estee Lauder Double Wear, but I think that Teint Idole is a much more comfortable foundation to wear.

I can only say that I am stunned by how good this foundation is, and how different I looked when I first put it on! I would definitely suggest going to your nearest Lancome counter and asking for a sample to try it first. You will probably end up loving it like me!

Sunday, 23 June 2013

These polishes have been absolutely raved about since their release, anyone who reviewed them on their blogs I was admiring them, but I was kind of put off by the idea that they felt quite gritty once they were on your nails, and I dislike polishes like that.

But - when I was in Debenhams and saw them in "real life", they actually took my breath away! Especially this coral shade, as I am mad about coral everything at the moment.

Anyway, they cost £7.99 and in the pictures below I have on two coats. Actually the gritty texture doesn't annoy me that much, it is not as bad as Sally Hensen Gem Crush for instance.

This polish is just the most fabulous orange colour, with gold shimmer. I cannot tell you how much I love it. Now I know why everyone was raving about these polishes! I want more!

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

I am very sorry to say that I have finally used the last of this lovely perfume! :(

I know I am quite late reviewing this since it has been out for ages. I got this bottle back in September. I have been using it fairly frequently ever since. It is not often I actually finish a perfume bottle, as I tend to get fed up of the scent and move onto another. But not this one!

The bottle is absolutely stunning to look at. I love the gold gilted lid and little charms hanging down. The purple bottle is kind of iridescent and shimmery. I am not sure if I will even be able to throw this away now that it is empty!

Not only is the bottle visually stunning, the scent itself is just gorgeous.

It is quite a sweet perfume, my all time favourite perfume is Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy, and this perfume is not unlike it. It has a "sharper" scent and it is a little more exotic than Britney. It is fun, fruity, mysterious and just a lovely perfume.

I know Taylor Swift has a new perfume out - "Wonderstruck Enchanted" - I cannot wait to try it. I hope it is as nice as this one.

Sunday, 16 June 2013

I had never really heard of Inglot before, I came across their name while reading a few blogs but I genuinely did not know what they had to offer. I have actually heard that their eyeshadows are of a much better quality than MAC eyeshadows, and much cheaper too. Wow.

Well, at the recent Irish bloggers meetup, we were very kindly given two of the above products, the nail polish and the eye pigment. I couldn't leave without an eyeshadow palette too! Here is a closer look.

I was a bit apprehensive at using this polish as it is quite a Barbie pink, but I absolutely love how it looks on, and it applied like a dream! It is shade 817.

This is the eye pigment, in shade 42. This looks absolutely stunning, I have not actually used it yet - I think I am a little intimidated by it - but I think it would look amazing on!

Then, I chose three of their eyeshadows... I loved their Freedom system. You pick up a magnetic board and stick on whatever shades you want, and the girls at the counter will make up a palette for you. This is great as in the generic palettes that you buy, there is always a shade or two that you will not use!

Unfortunately I do not know the shade numbers of these! I was especially drawn to the orange shade, it's so beautiful!

Here I have blended the three shades together, but I cannot wait to see what I can do with the orange shade on its own! The other two colours I could definitely use every day. The eyeshadows were very silky to apply and blend, they were lovely to use and I definitely would like to try more. I'll have to get a bigger palette next time!

I don't think they show prices on their website, but for this 3x eyeshadow palette it cost €24. Their nail polish formula seems to be just superb, and I have fallen in love with their eyeshadows too. Next time I am in Dublin I will most definitely be stopping at the Inglot counter!

EDIT: I should probably add that several hours after the photo was taken of my eye make up, my eyes started feeling quite itchy. I removed the eyeshadow and I could see my eyelids looked a little swollen and red. My eyelids felt really sore and by that evening it looked like I had burns on my eyelids. I fear I am allergic to Inglot :( I was just starting to love this brand!

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

I hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather! I know I am, it's great to see it and here's hoping it will last a long time!

Recently, I have been reaching for these products a lot - I thought I would show them to you - lately I have decided that I cannot live without these products! (Well, not literally!)

Lancôme Teint Idole Foundation (shade 3) - I have been loving this foundation recently. I got a little sample of it in Debenhams and I couldn't belive how good it looked on, so I went straight out and got the full sized bottle. It is completely matte, and it has been staying on all day even though it is a fairly light foundation. I am so impressed with this!

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan - What else can I say about this, apart from it is the best tan in the world! I used to never wear fake tan and now I think I am addicted to it! What I like most is that it is the most natural coloured fake tan I have ever seen, and it wears off quite well too, unlike other tans I have tried which wear off in patches! This one is perfect and is oh so easy to apply. I now love wearing tan every day, I think it makes me look a lot healthier or something!

Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Make Up Remover - This is genuinely the best eye make up remover I have ever used. It removes every little trace of make up with just one swipe of a cotton pad. Amazing. I got this as a free gift but I will definitely be buying the full sized version. I know it is a little expensive but it really is that good! I've been using this every day for the last month or so and there is still a good amount left in the bottle.

MAC Prep & Prime Protection SPF 50 - I bought this primer mainly for the SPF 50 but I have really noticed a difference in the longevity of my makeup too especially at the end of a long, hot day. I don't really use primers but now I feel like I couldn't be without this one! I love the added high protection too. If this good weather holds out I would highly suggest investing in this! It is quite moisturiser-like and easy to apply.

Angelica Nail Polish (shade "Hip Hop") - I have been wearing this nail polish almost every day since the summer began! It is so bright, actually it is a neon colour! It is the finest coral shade I have ever used (and I have used a lot!). The formula is quite thin, almost gel like. It lasts me about a week too. It is probably the best nail polish I have ever used,and it was so cheap too! I'll be using this all summer!

IsaDora Bronzing Powder (shade Light Tan) - I bought this last year, but never really used it. I saw it in Debenhams and fell in love with the beautiful packaging, the huge compact and nice mirror. The product is of course amazing, but it is not until now that I have been wearing fake tan that I have really got the use out of it. I am not really into bronzers, but I have never seen one like this before! It is the most gorgeous tan colour, a tiny subtle hint of shimmer, that I use all over my face every day now. If I am having a good skin day, I actually just wear this alone instead of foundation. I will definitely be re-purchasing this, and I cannot recommend this bronzer enough! It is such good value too for the amount of product you get!

MUA Power Pout (Justify) - I absolutely love this lip crayon. It is so smooth and moisturising, there is also a slight peppermint hint from it which feels really refreshing on your lips. I find that even after the actual balm has worn off, I am left with a hint of colour which is nice. But I have been generously applying this every single day, it is nearly all gone now! Luckily at £3.00 a go, this is one I will be buying lots more of!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing what products I am loving at the moment. Has anyone else tried these products? I'd love to know what you think!

Sunday, 9 June 2013

Recently I attended an Irish Beauty Blogger meetup in Dublin. It was so great to meet everyone and finally put faces to names. We each got a goodie bag and I was so shocked and excited to see these lovely polishes! If you don't know already, NYC are my favourite nail polish brand.

011 Power of Elements

012 Enchanting Fire

014 Magic Earth

013 Aqua Mystic

010 Pure Air

Aren't they stunning? I actually have never seen a nail polish look quite so beautiful in the bottle. And all the colours are fab, there is not one that I wouldn't wear.

They are a little tricky to apply, as are most metallic shades. They could look streaky very easily, in particular the orange shade "Pure Air" was rather difficult to apply - as you can probably see in my photo! It was a little gloopy, but with a little more time and care taken I am sure it could be applied a lot better than in this photo!

I actually did not expect the light blue and light pink to look so good on the nail! All these shades are going to be perfect for summer - very eye catching and fresh.

Wednesday, 5 June 2013

I have certainly heard of the brand Illamasqua - mostly through Youtube. I don't think their products can be bought here but perhaps I am wrong. However, during their recent 50% discount offer, I made just one purchase. I am quite funny about buying make up online, I usually like to see and test the product first. But, how could you go wrong with a cream blush, right?

I love the packaging and the beautiful colour of this blush. There is a slight scent...it reminds me of chocolate! When I first swatched this product, I was kind of surprised as it feels a lot more "watery" than I expected and less creamy. To be honest, my first impression was that I was disappointed as I just blended this on my face with my fingers and it was barely visible, I had to go over it about 5 times for just a little hint of colour. I read a few blogs saying the best way to apply this is with a stippling brush, so that is what I did and I am now most impressed!

Using the stippling brush you have to be careful not to pick up too much product or you would look like a clown! I was just so used to applying cheaper cream blushes with a heavier texture using just my fingers.

I found that Illamasqua were quite slow to process my order, though that may be because they had a lot more orders during the 50% discount offer. It arrived by courier in a very generous sized black box, very well packaged (and shipping was free too).

I am very happy with this lovely blush! Did anyone else get any Illamasqua products? What do you think of them?